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Observer Effect (episode)
The non-corporeal Organians study the response of the Enterprise crew to the infection of Hoshi Sato and Tucker by a fatal silicon-based virus brought on board during an away mission. Summary Teaser As Enterprise orbits a nearby planet, it seems that Travis Mayweather and Malcolm Reed are playing chess on board the ship. In reality, however, they are under the control of two noncorporeal aliens. They talk about the game in technical terms and discuss the humans they are observing on Enterprise. When "Travis" asks "Reed" how the humans will react to what they find on the planet's surface, "Reed" answers that, in his experience, at least one member of every species that have come here has died as a result. He also mentions that some species have lost an entire crew. Act One In a shuttlepod, Commander Tucker and Ensign Hoshi Sato return to Enterprise from the M class planet, where they were excavating a Klingon site. Trip hails the starship and speaks with Captain Archer. He tells the captain that their search was unsuccessful. All they found was an old power cell, some empty ration packs and a latrine. Trip says that he is looking forward to a shower and closes the communications channel. Suddenly, he starts coughing uncontrollably and eventually collapses. Hoshi contacts Enterprise again and informs the senior officers of Trip's condition. "Travis" and "Reed" watch as Archer asks her to pilot the shuttlepod into the launch bay and requests that T'Pol notifies Doctor Phlox to be ready. Archer and Phlox watch Trip and Hoshi from outside the Decontamination chamber. Archer says that the shuttlepod will have to be inspected to check whether any of its environmental systems were the cause of Trip's condition. Phlox tells Hoshi that three landing parties have returned to Enterprise with no ill effects and passes medkits to them through an opening in the bulkhead. He requires samples of their blood which he can begin to analyse. Hoshi starts to cough and recalls that Trip started coughing shortly before he lost consciousness. Phlox tells his two patients to get him their blood samples as soon as possible and leaves with Archer. As he and the captain walk through a corridor that leads away from Decon, he informs Archer that he's having difficulty searching for the cause of their infection, using standard scans. In another corridor, "Travis" mentions that he studied "Reed"'s report on how the Klingons dealt with the infection, to which "Reed" answers that they responded typically for a species at their level of development. When "Mayweather" comments that he believes Archer and the Klingon commander acted differently, "Malcolm" disagrees. "Travis" argues that the Klingon commander didn't allow his landing party to beam back on to their ship, although Archer did. In response, "Reed" explains that both courses of action were extremely similar - the areas of the ship that Trip and Hoshi have visited since their return, the launch bay and the Decon chamber, are completely isolated from the rest of the starship. He claims that it doesn't matter if a member of the landing party returns to their vessel and that the aliens learned everything they can from humans. "Travis" remembers that, like the humans, the Cardassians were also concerned for each other. However, "Malcolm"'s response is that the Cardassians eventually killed the infected members of their crew, as did the Klingons. "Travis" seems hopeful that the humans may overcome the virus, but "Reed" answers that he's been observing aliens for eight hundred years and that's he hasn't been surprised yet. Their protocol dictates that they should question the infected crew, which "Malcolm" tells "Travis" to do, and says that he will go to sickbay to speak to Phlox. In the Decon chamber, Trip looks over the temporary medication which the doctor has provided, to be used for muscle pain and nausea. There is also a cough suppressant but Hoshi comments that they aren't coughing any more. She thinks that may be because they're slowly recovering. Trip reminds her that Phlox issued the medication, which he feels is an adequate reason to take them. "Travis" arrives and asks what's in the hypospray. Trip explains that Phlox has been unable to make a diagnosis. "Travis" continues to question them. He asks if they've ever faced serious illness before and how their present condition compares with any other illness they may have previously experienced. Trip gradually gets annoyed by the entity's questions and eventually closes the hatch that allowed "Travis" to observe. In sickbay, Phlox is analysing Hoshi and Trip's blood samples when "Reed" enters. He claims he has a headache, so the doctor tries to find some relevant medication. "Reed" is interested in the computer displays of Hoshi and Tucker's blood. Phlox returns and scans "Reed", determining that the headache is not serious. "Reed" explains that it could get worse, though, so Phlox administers him with a mild analgesic. "Reed" asks the doctor how he plans to create an effective antidote but when Phlox begins to believe that "Reed" is afraid that the virus is contagious, he shows him the door. In Decon, Trip asks Hoshi if she has ever seen a movie from the 20th century entitled, "The Andromeda Strain". Unaware of the film's premise, the semi-delirious Hoshi guesses that it's about a Doctor Andromeda who builds a monster which eventually kills him. When Trip tells her that the film actually involves an alien virus, she replies that she finds it hard to differentiate between the plots of the films that Tucker likes, due to their extreme similarities. When Trip recalls that he "got into a lot of trouble" at Starfleet training, Hoshi tells him that she was dismissed from Starfleet. She reveals that she broke a Company Commander's arm, due to a difference of opinion. Hoshi recalls that when she was trying to run a poker game for some of the new recruits and several members of the training staff stationed there, the Commander attempted to terminate the game. She also tells Trip that she has experience in the art of aikido. Tucker wonders how she managed to be assigned to Enterprise following the incident, to which Hoshi replies that Starfleet was desperate for language specialists and that she reassigned on probation. In sickbay, Phlox tells Archer that Sato and Tucker are suffering from a silicon-based virus. Archer wonders how the virus could have evolved on an M-class planet, where only carbon-based life is known to exist. Phlox theorises that it may have travelled to the planet on the surface of a meteorite, which could explain why only one of the four landing parties sent by Enterprise contracted it. He informs Archer that there is no record of the virus in the Denobulan medical database, so he'll have to work without prior research. He says that the pathogen is reproducing at an incredibly fast rate and that Hoshi and Tucker may have only five hours to live. Act Two As Enterprise continues its orbit of the planet, "Travis" and "Reed" discuss their observations of the crew in the mess hall. "Travis" tells "Reed" that Phlox has managed to make a diagnosis and that no one on board has made the decision to abandon the infected members of the crew. "Malcolm" believes that everyone aboard the ship will die as a result. Archer arrives outside the Decon chamber and tries to open the observation hatch. Trip thinks that "Travis" has returned but is relieved to find that his visitor is Archer. He tells the captain that Hoshi is asleep and that the medication which Phlox gave them seems to be working. Archer informs him that the doctor has identified the pathogen but has so far been unsuccessful in creating an antidote. When Trip begins to speak pessimistically about the amount of time he has left to live, Archer tells him that his immune system could still reject the virus. Trip recalls that, due to their carbon-based nature, human bodies don't repel silicon, which he learned from Exobiology 101. When Archer advises him not to give up, Trip seems optimistic about exploring new worlds. Deeply saddened by the engineer's ill health, the captain asks him to rest. As they walk through a corridor, "Travis" and "Reed" agree that they are searching for indications of advanced rational intelligence within the species which they observe. However, "Malcolm" remarks that Captain Archer hasn't shown signs of rational intellect. By allowing Hoshi and Trip to remain on board, he has increased the possibility that their quarantine may fail. However, "Travis" is certain that Archer knows the risk that the virus represents and that perhaps its not as important to him as being committed to his crew. "Reed" thinks that is as probable as the chance that he is unaware of how unfortunate the situation has become. So, in order to learn whether Archer realizes the risk of contamination, "Travis" suggests that he and "Malcolm" transfer to new hosts. He elects the bodies of Phlox and T'Pol to be used, since Archer's decisions are based on their findings. "Reed" responds by reminding "Travis" that the noncorporeal beings have a strict non-interference policy and claims that the more hosts they occupy, the greater the chance of accidentally influencing the crew. On the other hand, "Travis" states that the more crew members they inhabit, the more they will be able to observe. In Decon, Trip and Hoshi discuss Sato's linguistic capabilities. Trip reveals that he's always been jealous of her ability to learn new languages, while Hoshi claims that she wishes she had Trip's skill to repair warp engines. He tells her that he hasn't always been good at construction and gives a humorous example of how he once enjoyed taking things apart. Once he has finished recounting the story, Hoshi stands up and sees Phlox and T'Pol at the observation window. Unknown to Hoshi, they are now occupied by the noncorporeal aliens, although both she and Trip seem surprised at the sight of them. When Tucker asks how their research is progressing, "T'Pol" replies that they are waiting on some new test results and "Phlox" adds that they came to check the condition of their patients. When Trip asks them to return to sickbay and continue their work, "T'Pol" claims that they immediately intend to do exactly that. "Phlox" is more reluctant to leave than "T'Pol" but eventually does so, too. Hoshi realises that "Phlox" and "T'Pol"'s joint visit could be an indication that they're almost finished their work in sickbay, though Trip isn't as optimistic. While "Phlox" and "T'Pol" wander through a corridor, "Phlox" comments that Hoshi and Trip are very brave in the way they are facing death. "T'Pol" replies that their intelligence is in question, not their courage. When "Phlox" judges that "T'Pol" wants the humans to fail, she answers that it isn't a contest. She explains that it's more a question of whether the humans are sufficiently intelligent for the noncorporeal aliens to initiate first contact with them. "Phlox" suggests that the aliens also consider other qualities in that decision but "T'Pol" clarifies that they have used that characteristic for ten thousand years. She maintains that they aren't responsible for changing the factor which is used as an indicator but "Phlox" asks who is. On the bridge, Archer and Reed look over sensor data from the planet below. They have detected a crater, which could prove Phlox's theory that the virus travelled to the planet on a meteorite. The captain thinks that the crater could be the source of the pathogen. If so, the Klingons who set up the campsite which Trip and Hoshi explored would also have been infected. Archer orders Reed to contact Starfleet to find out whether the crew of the Klingon vessel which visited this world were able to develop a cure. In sickbay, the new test results which Phlox is waiting for are ready. "T'Pol" states that the aliens should transfer into new hosts to allow Phlox and T'Pol to continue their work. They agree to reinhabit the bodies of Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather, who are on the bridge, and soon leave Phlox and T'Pol. With no indication of the alien's presence, Phlox observes a viewscreen which shows the results of the blood test he performed earlier. He comments that the alterations they made to the blood's immune receptors weren't effective. Indicating an area of the viewscreen, T'Pol mentions that it may show evidence that the virus is sensitive to fatally extreme ionizing radiation. The doctor agrees and, with his encouragement, she begins to prepare new blood samples for testing. In Decon, Hoshi wakes from a nightmare. She dreamt that she was in Brazil, where, in reality, she taught as a university professor of languages, shortly before her assignment as Enterprise's communications officer. In the nightmare, which seemed very real to her, a shuttle was on its way to take her to the ship. Tucker reminds her that she is aboard Enterprise, which seems to calm the ensign. She tells Trip that she didn't have enough time to say goodbye to her students but the engineer promises that she will see them again. On the bridge, Archer informs "Travis" and "Reed" that he's spoken to the members of Starfleet Command, who are working through diplomatic channels to contact the Klingons. However, their communication may be unnecessary, as Archer has found evidence of a Klingon alloy in orbit of the planet. The alloy is used as the Klingons' standard hull plating and comprises the remains of a Klingon shuttlecraft. Archer has realised that the vessel's crew, infected with the silicon-based virus, were killed by their commanding officer. "Reed" remembers that the crew "didn't even plead for mercy" but, when he notices that Archer is watching him, he disguises the recollection as an observation on Klingon honor. When "Travis" asks if learning about what happened to the Klingons helps the crew of Enterprise in any way, Archer replies that it would be pointless to ask the Klingons for the cure, since they now know that the Klingons didn't develop one. He says that he would do anything it took to acquire the antidote if the Klingons had developed it. In the Decon Chamber, Hoshi is desperately trying to escape. She frantically speaks several different languages, including a diverse range of Terran as well as Klingonese. When Trip tells her that she won't be able to break the security lock-out code, she answers that "math is just another language". An alarm klaxon blares, signalling that there is a quarantine breach in their area - Hoshi has broken the code. On the bridge, "Malcolm" reports the breach to Archer and looks at "Travis", surprised by Hoshi's actions. Meanwhile, Ensign Sato walks through a corridor outside the Decon Chamber in an extremely delirious state. Act Three Hoshi opens a door at the other end of the corridor and walks through. On the bridge, "Reed" informs Archer that the ensign is overriding the safety interlocks on D-Deck. The captain orders him to shut down all power on that deck in an attempt to seal every door there. As Hoshi tries to break through another door, sections of the corridor behind her darken. Eventually, the entire deck is plunged into darkness and a red light is automatically activated. Trip appears behind her and tries to persuade her to stop what she's doing. He tells her that the door which she is attempting to open is actually an airlock. If she succeeds, she and Trip will die of exposure to space. Background Information Since the galaxy of TOS seems to be swarming with noncorporeal beings, the producers of Enterprise decided to implement such a race in one of their episodes again. Furthermore, "Observer Effect" is a "smaller" episode again, with less action and no guest stars. This episode features a reference to the Cardassians . In quantum mechanics, the Observer Effect theory states that the observation of an experiment changes its results. Memorable Quotes QUOTES Links and References Guest Stars None References aikido; "The Andromeda Strain"; Cardassians; chess; class M; Gardner, Admiral; Exobiology 101; Klingons; poker; sonambutril; Starfleet Training Center; trinephedrine. Category:ENT episodes